Whether Manning is a hero or a traitor is beside the point. Trans women deserve better than to be treated like animals in a system that robs them of even their basic humanity.

Manning, who was transferred to Fort Leavenworth in 2011, has served seven years of her sentence thus far. In that time, she has tried to kill herself twice. Following her first attempt in July, the military didn’t offer support or comfort. Instead, Manning was subjected to 14 days of solitary confinement under a provision known as “conduct which threatens,” arguing that her actions violated the “orderly running, safety, good order and discipline, or security.” She attempted to take her own life again in November.

Following these incidents, Chase Strangio, Senior Counsel for the ACLU, has claimed that the “demoralizing and destabilizing assaults on her health and humanity” that Manning has been subjected to while in prison have negatively impacted her mental state. Further such treatment will continue to create an atmosphere that encourages self-harm.